Thread storage reel



R E H S A D H C THREAD STORAGE .REEL

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THREAD STORAGE REEL 4 Shasta-Sheet` 2 Filed April 9, 1946 E WN ATTORNEY l wk C. H. IDASHER THREAD STORAGE REEL 4. Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 9, 1946 NVENTOR. BY /Ial'lesas/zer ATTORNEY wv 5 @4% c. H. DASHER 'THREAD STORAGE REEL 4 Smets-Sheet 4 Filed April 9, 1946 [N V EN TOR.

aS/zel ATTOENYJY Patented July 5, `1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THREAD STORAGE REEL Charles H. Dasher, Upper Montclair, N. J.

Application April 9, 1946, Serial No. 660,791

(Cl. 28-7L7) 13 Claims. l

This invention relates to apparatus for use in the treatment of thread and more particularly to a thread storage reel over which a thread may continuously traverse in a spiral path.

The treatment of rayon thread subsequent to spinning requires chemical processing and drying to develop full strength. Storage devices for temporarily accommodating large lengths of thread while undergoing continuous treatment have been devised, and arranged in multiple to provide a path of treatment of suicient lineal length to afford a treatment of the desired duration. Devices of this character are illustrated in Furness 1,983,221 and Kline et al. 2,286,213, wherein single and multiple units are disclosed to provide a desired course of treatment.

It is an object of the present invention to provide in a reel of the type described, means for xing a substantially helical path of travel for the thread traversing the reel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reel of the type generally described in which the thread is caused to travel smoothly over the entire course in a defined path without sliding or side slipping upon the supporting members.

A further object of the invention is to provide a reel in which the thread traversed helical path may be composed of convolutions more closely spaced, without danger of entanglement or nterference.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a means for automatically initially laying up thread in a helical path upon a reel and thereafter causing the thread to traverse such helical path.

Another object of the invention is to provide a reel of the type set forth which may be constructed in any length desired and which may be supported from one end in cantilever fashion.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a reel composed of relatively simple and inexpensive parts which may be readily formed of materials capable of withstanding chemical action, and which may be readily replaced if desired.

Other objects of the invention` having to do with the provision of means for driving the reel at different speeds during the initial laying up of the thread and subsequent helical continuous traversing of the thread will appear hereinafter.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from the following detailed description whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understood however that the drawings are employed for illustrative purposes only and are not designed as a denition of the limits of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims for this purpose.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the reel, in an operative position for laying up a store of thread;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the reel of Fig. l, shown in an operative position for continuous thread storage operation;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the reel portion;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line --ll of Fig. 3, showing the planetary gearing;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic enlarged view showing the thread course upon two adjacent rolls.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly Fig. 1, there is shown a frame I0 having mounted therein a shaft I2, journalled in bearings I3 and I5, and carrying on its end a cage or reel I4. The reel is composed of end discs I5 and It, keyed to the shaft as at Il and I9, and spaced parallel rolls 20. Each of the rolls 20, there being twelve in number, is rotatably mounted Within the end discs and is provided with a spiral groove or thread 22, adapted to space helical turns of thread when laid up upon the reel., The rolls may be composed of glass, glazed porcelain, stainless steel or any desired material, the materials mentioned being capable of withstanding attack by acids or alkalies, customarily present in the treatment of threads continuously stored by the reel, and often dripped upon the thread stored upon the reel for treatment, as is well understood in the art.

Each of the rolls may consist of a tubular member spirally grooved or threaded on its exterior as at 22, and supported between rotatable end bushings 2t and 26. having beveled ends adapted to be inserted within the tubular rolls, for centering purposes. The bushing 24, mountedin end disc IB is provided with a gear 28, seated against the shoulder 29 and keyed to the bushing 2t, by a transverse segmental key 30, into which is centrally threaded a tension through bolt 32, the head 34 of which is seated in the countersunk end of bushing 26.

Rotation of all the rolls bodily with the end discs I6 andy I8 is effected through the rotation of the shaft I2, and simultaneous rotation of each of the rolls relative to the end discs is effected through a planetary gear system shown more particularly in Fig. 4. When rotation of the rolls relative to the reel is desired, as in normal continuous storage operation of the reel, the gear 35, and its sleeve 36, on the shaft I2, are locked together with the frame to prevent rotation with the shaft |2, by a brake in the form of a sliding bar supported brake finger 38 engaging teeth 40, integral with the sleeve 36. Meshing with gear 35, are planet gears 42, 44, and 46, pivoted on bearing pins 48 threaded in bosses 50 on the face of end disc I8. Each of gears 42, 44 and 48 in turn mesh with planet gears 52 and 54, 56 and 58, and 60 and 62, all similarly mounted on pivots carried on disc |8, which gears each in turn mesh with two adjacent gears 28, keyed to their respective rolls. In the form shown it will be observed that the pitch circle diameter of gear 35, and gears 28 are identical, with the same number of teeth. The intermediate planet gears, while shown alike in size, may be of any desired diameter, without aiectng operation of the reel.

. In the form shown and during continuous stor stant, a plane at right angles to the axis of shaft I2 would cut each successive roll progressing counterclockwise, with the roll thread of each roll 60 in advance in angular relation. Thus a thread wrapped spirally around the reel may contact each successive roll along a arc, the center point of which is axially advanced from the contact center of the previous roll by one-twelfth of the thread pitch of the rolls. It will be understood that as the reel rotates through one revolution, the thread stored upon the reel will move through the distance of the substantially circumferential spiral path formed by the contact of the threads with a '30 arcof each of the twelve rolls, and the twelve tangential sections between adjacent rolls, plus the root diameter circumference oi. the spiral grooves in the rolls, and that the spiral path traversed will be substantially a helix having a lead equal to the pitch of the spiral groove of the rolls, but opposite in direction to the lead of the spiral roll grooves. Thus as the rolls rotate in advance of the reel, when the reel rotates counterclockwise as shown in Fig. 4, an ever-changing porf tion of the spiral groove of each roll is presented to support the oncoming thread in such a way as to translate the thread axially of the reel. as the thread is caused to traverse the reel circumference. There is thus maintained a fixed spiral path through which the thread traverses. In the reel shown, the thread stored upon the reel advances downwardly toward the reel on the rear side thereof, at the left (arrow P). and traverses the reel in a counterclockwise path as viewed from the left in Fig. 4, and the thread may -leave the reel at the right hand end from the rear thereof in a downward direction (arrow Q).

To facilitate starting .the reel, which requires the initial laying up of thread thereupon, it is desirable to arrest/the relative rotation between the rolls 20 and the reel proper, so that all parts vmay rotate as a body. lTo eiect this result, the

brake finger 38 is moved clear of engagement with the teeth 40 as shown in Fig. 1, whereupon the slight residual friction of the parts causes the rolls to turn bodily with the reel. To assist in laying up the thread, a screw thread driven guide finger 66, carried on a slide bar 68 is provided. The frame I0, is provided with a slide channel 10 for the bar 68, and the bar is adapted to carry split nut elements 14 and 15, positioned around the screw threads 16 of the shaft I2. The nut elements are carried between spaced arms 18 and 19, depending from and secured to the slide bar 68. As the shaft I2 rotates with the cage or reel I4, the screw threads 18, having the same pitch kas the helical grooves 22, through the engagement of the nut elements 14 and 15 gradually moves the bar 68 to the left carrying the guide finger 66 to the left. A thread passing over the nger downwardly. is caused to have its free end laid upon the drum so as to be carried therearound, while the finger moves to the left and lays up spiral convolutions in the successive grooves of the rolls. It will be understood that the rolls rotate bodily with the reel during this operation and that the free end of the thread remains upon the right hand end of the reel during this process and is carried around the reel, with the reel as it rotates.

Once the laying up process is completed, and the reel lled with convolutions from one end to the other, it is desirable to automatically shift the reel from the laying up action, to its normal running operation, during which, the thread is continuously fed upon the reel at the left end and off the reel at the right end. The free end at this time is led to another reel adjacent to the reel being shifted to normal running operation where laying up operation is commenced, or is led to a spool upon which the thread is wound, it being finished in this case. To this end, when the guide nger 66 reaches the position shown in Fig. 2, an adjustable abutment 82 carried in a block 83 secured between the arms 18 and 19,

40 engages a shoulder 84 on the brake linger supporting bar 86. Further movement of the arms 18 and 19 to the left slides the bar 86 to the left, engaging the brake finger 38 with the teeth 40, arresting the rotation of gear 35.

It will appear that the split nut elements 14 and 15 are provided with opposed lugs 90, 9|, 92, and 93. riding in slots 94, 95. 96, and 91 in the arms 18 and 19, to permit the elements to separate and disengage from the screw threads 16.

1 Guide bars 98. 99, |08 and I0|, supported from the side walls |02 and |04 of the frame, engage the ends of the lugs 90, 9|, 92 and 93, and hold the split elements closed around and in engagement with the screw thread, or apart from and free of the thread depending upon which side of the guide bars the lugs may be. When the elements reach the position shown in Fig. 2, clear of the end of the guide bars 98 and 99, four leaf springs. bearing against lugs 90, 9|, V92 and 93 spread the elements apart to the limit of the slots 94 and 96, whereupon. when the bar 68 is being moved to the right manually by the handle |20, to commence the laying up operation, the lugsride on the outer faces of guide bars 98, 99, |00 and I 0I. The leaf springs referred to are symmetrically arranged and in pairs, two of which. |06 and |01 are shown supported from a post |09 mounted upon the side wall |04, the other two being similarly positioned upon side wall |02.

When the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 1. the lugs have cleared the right hand ends of the guide bars 98, 99, |00 and IOI. and by reason of the pressure of leaf springs ||0, III, ||2 and II3, supported on posts II5 from the side walls |02 and |04, the lugs and their respective nut elements are urged into screw thread engagement with the screw 16. At the same time, the abutment 05, engages a shoulder on the bar 86, causing the same to disengage the finger 38 from the teeth 40, to permit the gear to rotate with the reel.

From the foregoing, it will appear that as the thread is initially wound upon the reel, and the rolls rotate bodily with the reel, the speed of the thread upon the reel will be that of the peripheral velocity of the reel. On the other hand when the thread is merely continuously passed over the reel, in normal temporary storage operation, the speed of thethread is enhanced for each revolution of the reel by the additional distance equal to the periphery of the root roll thread diameter. Since reels of the type are operated in batteries, the thread stored or treated on one reel isied onto an adjacent reel, whence it may be fed onto still other reels in sequence. essential that the travel velocity of the thread upon the various reels be coordinated in order that all may operate in harmony, and accept thread from the preceeding reel at the speed at which the preceeding reel delivers thread.

Thus a reel operating in the laying up stage, must rotate at a greater rate of speed, because the thread being laid up rotates with the reel at reel peripheral velocity, while the previous reel from whence the thread is supplied is rotating with a peripheral velocity less than that of the thread thereon.

The initial free end of the thread received from an adjacent reel for laying up, if received from an identical reel but operating with its rolls rotating relative to the cage ends so that the thread velocity is greater than the reel peripheral velocity, must be laid up on a reel whose rotation speed is correspondingly increased. To avoid creation of slack, while laying up the initial end upon such a reel, with its rolls rotating bodily with the reel, means are provided to automatically supply the correct rotation speed. The proper speed of rotation is automatically provided for in each reel by change speed gears between the shaft l2, and the main driving spindle I3I. Two pairs of gears, constantly enmeshed, are provided, one pair |23 and |25 bearing a ratio to the other pair |28 and |30, similar to the ratio between the reel periphery and the reel periphery plus the` root roll circumferencewhich is the same as the ratio of speed of movement of thread upon the reel during laying up and the speed of the thread during normal continuous storage operation. Gears |20 and |28 are fixed to shaft I3I, which is suitably journalled as at |32 and |33 in It iS- 22 is opposite to the pitch of the helical path of travel of the thread around the reel and propractice, such deviation is so slight as to be practhe frame |0, while gears |26 and |30 are free to rotate upon shaft i2. Each of the gears |26 and |30 are provided on their adjacent faces with jaw clutch lugs |3t adapted to engage complemental lugs |36 upon either face of a sliding jaw clutch element |38, slidable upon the shaft I2, but keyed to rotate therewith. A thrust collar |00, carried by the bar 3E serves to shift the clutch element, while permitting rotation, and interlocks the engagement of the element with the proper gear to coordinate the gear ratio with the operation being performed. i

In Fig. 7, there is illustrated in conjunction with two adjacent rolls. the manner of travel of the thread upon the rolls and the relative rotation thereof. The section of the rolls shown to the left are taken on the plane :r-- passing through the rolls, transverse to their axes. It will be observed that the pitch of the roll thread tically unnoticeable, due to the relatively fine pitch of the roll threads and the thread helix around the reel. As the thread moves upward in the direction of arrow C, the axes of the rolls rotate with the cage in the general direction of arrow A, the rolls each rotate in the direction of arrow B, during normal operation, and the thread travels at a speed which is a composite of the peripheral velocity of the reel, plus an added increment resulting from the rotation of the rolls. As the thread contacts the lower roll at |50, it follows the root of the groove 22 for 30, during which 30 the thread travels axially to the left one-twelfth of the pitch of spiral roll groove 22. Upon leaving the lower roll, andtravelling to the upper roll on a course tangent to both rolls, the thread moves axially, and advances to the right two-twelfths of the pitch of the spiral roll groove 22. Upon contact with the upper roll, the course deviates during the 30 contact therewith axially to the left one-twelfth of a pitch. Thus a net gain axially from the point the thread leaves one roll, as at f, to the point the thread leaves the succeeding roll at g, is one-twelfth of a pitch.

As the thread moves upward in the direction C, rolls 20 move up with the cage, and simultaneously rotate in the direction of arrow B. Thus as the thread moves up, the successive thread portion to contact the groove 22 over a 30 arc, w'll contact such groove, along a portion advanced axially to the right, along the spiral groove, for example the arcuate portion represented at m and n. Thus a xed spiral path is laid around the reel over which the thread is smoothly fed, and advanced axially.

It will appear that the frame I0 may be conveniently composed of symmetrical castings forming like but opposite halves secured together by bolts |42, and that the right hand end of each of the castings is shaped to form a stationary gear housing IM closely cooperating with the end disc I8, to protect the mechanism from the corrosive action of chemicals employed. Likewise the end disc I6 is provided with a closure member |48 upon which the free end of the thread may be laid in temporary adherence thereon during laying up.

It will be apparent that the reels of the type disclosed may be made with any number of rolls and of any length, and that relatively close spacing of the thread upon the reel is possible due to the positive positioning of the spiral traversed path, by the roll grooves. It will also appear that the rolls may be solely supported from the disc I8 eliminating the end po--tion of shaft I2, and the disc I6 carried thereby. In such an arrangement, the rolls and sleeves 24 may be speed less than the cage periphery speed, by an amount equal to the roll root periphery, during normal storage operation. By the use of double threads upon the rolls, the rotation speed of the rolls may be reduced one half, or one half revolution per revolution of the reel. The thread travel speed may be thus brought correspondingly closer to the reel peripheral speed. The laying up screw thread 16, however, would require a single thread pitch equal to the groove spacing upon the roll or one half of the pitch of any one groove. The ratio of the gears |24 and |26 and |28 and |30 would require variation to suit any of the above alternative arrangements, as will be readily understood.

It will also be apparent that the thread laying up guide may be employed in reels of the Furness and Kline type, and that suitable means for temporarily discontinuing the operation of the advancing means need not be that herein disclosed, but may be such means as might be readily applied to Furness or Kline to render the axes of the rotating parts temporarily parallel.

While a single form of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise disclosure, but may be embodied in many and various forms, including those variations suggested. As such and many other changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

I claim:

l. An apparatus for supporting a thread for continuous storage, comprising a rotatable reel, means therein for simultaneously rotating said reel and moving the thread laterally and circumferentially of the reel, and means for discontinuing the operation of said moving means While rotating said reel to initially'lay up a course of thread thereon.

2. An apparatus for supporting a thread for continuous storage, comprising a rotatable reel, means therein for simultaneously rotating said reel and moving the thread laterally and circumferentially of the reel, means for discontinuing the operation of said moving means while rotating said reel to initially lay up a course of thread thereon, and means for simultaneously decreasing the speed ofrotation of said reel upon operation of said discontinuing means.

3. An apparatus for supporting a thread for continuous storage comprising, a shaft, a reel end support, rotatable hollow bars uniformly spaced and elementally arranged and having like screw thread supporting grooves, conical elements inserted within the ends of each of said bars and connected by a tension element passing through said bar, one of said conical elements being journalled in said reel and support means for rotating said elements and bars relative to said support once for each rotation of said reel, in the direction of the rotation of said reel.

4. An apparatus for supporting a thread for continuous storage comprising, a` shaft, a reel end support, rotatable bars uniformly spaced and elementally arranged and having like screw thread supporting grooves, means including planetary gears, and a sun gear concentric with said shaft for rotating said bars relative to said support once for each rotation of said reel, in the direction of the rotation of said reel, and means for locking said sun gear from rotation with said shaft or unlocking said sun gear for rotation with said shaft to stop-relative rotation of said bars.

5. In a thread storage reel, a thread supporting cage, means for simultaneously rotating said cage and for axially advancing the thread upon said cage to establish a substantially spiral path of travel, and means for temporarilydiscontinuing the operation of the axial advancing means while rotating said cage to assist initially laying up a spiral course of thread thereon.

6. In a thread storage reel, a thread supporting cage, means for axially advancing the thread upon said cage to establish a substantially spiral path of travel, means for temporarily discontinuing the operation of the axial advancing means to assist initially laying up a spiral course of thread thereon, and traverse means for guiding a spiral lay of thread on the reel during discontinuance of the operation of the advancing means.

7. In a thread treatment reel, a drive shaft, a thread advancing reel comprising support plate rotatable therewith, a plurality of rotatable bars supported by said plate and substantially uniformly spaced to form a polygonal drum in the form of a cage, said bars each having a spiral groove therein, means for rotating said bars relative to said plate upon rotation of said cage, means for rotating said bars bodily with said cage for initially laying up a spiral course of thread thereon, and means for driving said cage at two different speeds whereby the peripheral movement of said thread may be the same durin laying up as during thread advancing.

8. In a thread treatment reel, a drive shaft, a support plate rotatable therewith, a plurality of rotatable bars supported by said plate and substantially uniformly spaced to form a polygonal drum in the form of a cage, said bars each having a spiral groove therein, means for rotating said bars relative to said plate upon rotation of said cage, means for rotating said bars bodily with said cage, and means for driving said cage at two different speeds, the ratio of said speeds being proportional to the ratio of the circumference of said reel to the circumference of said reel plus or minus the circumference of one of said bars multiplied by the relative rotation of said bar with respect to the support plate, depending upon whether the relative rotation of the bar is in the salme or opposite direction of the rotation of said p a e.

9. In a thread treatment reel, means for driving said reel at one speed for spirally winding thread thereon in the form of a helix at a speed substantially that of the reel periphery, means for driving said reel at a different rate of speed and for simultaneously moving a helix of thread thereon at substantially the Winding speed While simultaneously axially moving said helix, at the reel peripheral moving speed and guide means for traversing the reel while operating at the rstnamed speed.

10. A thread storage reel comprising a cage having spaced rotatable bars having thread grooves therein, means for rotating said bars relative to said cage, a thread guide, a screw thread feed for said thread guide having a pitch equal to the pitch of said thread grooves, means for automatically disengaging said feed when said guide reaches one end of its limit of travel, means for reengaging said feed when said guide is moved to the other end of its limit of travel, and'meahs for simultaneously increasing the reel speed of rotation and for arresting relative rotation of said iar when said reengaging means reengages said 11. A thread storage reel comprising a cage having spaced rotatable bars having thread grooves therein, means for rotating said bars relative to said cage, a thread guide, a screw thread feed for said thread guide having a pitch equal to the pitch of said thread grooves, means for automatically disengaging said feed when said guide reaches one end of its limit of travel, means for reengaging said feed when said giude is moved to the other end of its limit of travel, and means for simultaneously changing the reel speed of rotation and for enforcing relative rotation of said bars, when said disengaging means disengages said feed. v

12. A thread storage reel comprising, a cage having spaced rotatable bars having thread grooves therein, means kfor rotating said cage, means for rotating said bars relative to said cage, a thread guide, means for moving said thread guide axially oi said reel, the speed of movement thereof being coordinated with the pitch of said thread grooves, so that for each revolution of said cage, said guide moves one pitch length, means for restraining rotation of said bars while said guide moves substantially the length of said reel, means responsive to the guide reaching one end of the reel for changing the speed of reel rotation l0 and for causing said bars to rotate relative to said reel.

13. An apparatus for supporting a thread for continuous storage, comprising a rotatable reel, means therein for simultaneously rotating said reel and moving the thread laterally and circumferentially of the reel, means for discontinuing the operation of said moving means while rotat# ing said reel toY initially lay up a course of thread thereon, and means for simultaneously changing the speed of rotation of said reel upon operation of said discontinuing means.

CHARLES H. BASI-IER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,165,259 Helm July 11, 1939 2,386,249 McDermott i. Oct. 9, 1945 2,403,031 Stanley et al July 2, 1946 2,424,490 Henry July 22, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 539,200 Great Britain Sept. 1, 1941 233,370 Germany Apr. 1. 1911 

